Liability Insurance & Worker’s Compensation
All jobs come with risks. Did you know if a worker is hurt while working at your home you could be held liable if no valid Liability Insurance & Workers Compensation exists? Protect yourself and require a copy of your contractor’s valid insurance certificate.
Warranty Information
Is there a warranty? If so, how long does it last? What does it cover? What should I know to prevent voiding the warranty. These are all good questions to ask your contractor.
Maintenance
Once the project is done you know need to know how to properly take care of your investment. If you are not sure make sure you ask. Otherwise you could find yourself having to pay for repairs that could have been avoided.
Installation
Compaction Equipment
Retaining walls are intended to last forever. Key to its longevity is compaction. This means as the wall is built the underlying layers of dirt must be tightly packed. If not the wall will fail and repairs required.
Geogrid
Any wall over 3 feet tall should use geogrid. Geogrid is a material used to reinforce retaining walls. If geogrid is not used on your retaining wall project you could be looking at a disaster waiting to happen.
Backfill
An absolute requirement to having a long lasting retaining wall is to install a proper backfill behind it. A backfill protects your retaining wall by allowing water to pass behind it rather than accumulating and pushing up against the inner wall. If ever pressure becomes too much the wall is at risk of failure.
Footing
Just as important as having a properly installed backfill is your retaining wall’s footing. The footing is the base of the retaining wall and helps with water accumalation that could compromise the wall’s structural integrity. On average the footing should be at least 6 inches to 8 inches deep. The depth of your retaining wall’s footing will depend on surrounding soil conditions.
Pricing
We all want to save money. But if we are not careful our cost saving efforts may come at a more substantial cost. Your hardscape designs are intended to last for many years to come. A cheaper project may look nice when completed, but in a short time failures may start to occur. Repairs can be costly. More importantly the living space may become dangerous to human lives.
Cheaper Bids
There is a right way and a wrong way to do things. And there is always a way to save money. But saving money should NEVER be at the expense of safety and quality.
Educate and protect yourself by getting several bids for your project. If the cost of a bid seems too low then buyer beware. Unfortunately hardscape installations are not cheap. But what will cost you more money is a poorly constructed installation that will need repairs when it fails. You get what you pay for. Don’t agree to the lowest bid just to save some money. You just might regret it.
Average Cost
Hardscape project prices vary. No two projects are the same. All prices are considered in terms of square footage. As an example, you can expect to pay anywhere between $22 – $50 per sq. ft. for a retaining wall depending location environment and conditions. Is the work area accessible? Free from debris? What are the surrounding soil conditions? Any trees in the area? Large rocks? These are all factors taken into consideration when determining a projects estimated costs.
